ALBANY — Before lunchtime last Wednesday, the rotunda of City Hall smelled of Nepalese spices, peppers, onions and chicken, with cups of mango lassi at the ready to cool the chile heat.
Mystic Momo, an Albany restaurant that was opened two summers ago by a married couple to showcase the cuisine of their native Nepal, was the first food vendor to participate in a new program that will bring in a rotating roster of vendors from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesdays to add another lunch option for approximately 1,300 city employees and the public who work in or visit City Hall.
The promotion is one of two initiatives introduced by Mayor Dorcey Applyrs intended to “remove barriers to access for local food vendors,” according to an announcement from the city. It continued, “(T)his first-of-its-kind program allows entrepreneurs to reach new customers, build brand awareness, and generate revenue with less red tape.”…